After four solid qualifying efforts, Tasca raced his way into the sixth qualifying position. He piloted his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang to a 4.115-second pass at 302.62 miles per hour.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing took to the track on Monday morning. The opening pair of Daniel Wilkerson and Ron Capps would greet the day with unexpected results.

"I'm glad Daniel is okay after hitting the wall at more than 200 miles an hour and was uninjured," said Tasca on young Wilkerson's first round accident. "Since he walked away from his race car, that speaks volumes to the engineering and additional safety systems that have been added to these cars over the last couple of years."

Tasca would face technical alliance teammate Tim Wilkerson in the first round. In their eight previous meetings, Tasca has three wins against Wilkerson. Tasca took the early advantage but Wilkerson was the first Mustang to cross the finish line. Tasca posted a solid 4.158-second run at 301.33 miles per hour.

"We had a big time match-up against Tim Wilkerson on conditions that were really unknown because of the rain delay," said Tasca. "Our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang went out and ran a 4.15, which wasn't exactly what we were shooting for, but I've got to give it to Tim because he made a great run."

Tasca's time was one of the top five times of the first round, but was just short in comparison to Wilkerson's winning pass.

"To lose like we did is frustrating because we know we could have won against at least 12 other cars," said Tasca. "It's tough to lose and it's even tougher to know that you would have defeated the majority of the cars in the first round. Unfortunately we raced our teammate and he had a better run."

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series has a few days to rest, then back to business this weekend in Richmond, Virginia. Tasca's first round loss places him sixth in the standings with three races remaining in the season.

"We're only 102 points out of first place, which is basically a race," said Tasca. "Our championship hopes are still alive and we look to do well in Richmond."

Jeff Arend won the 22nd Annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park.

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About Motorcraft

Motorcraft offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit http://www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane

Quick Lane provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane's nationwide network of 530 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit http://www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit http://www.ford.com.

Courtesy of Susan Pollack